Tapping U.S. oil tops Gilmore’s agenda in LU visit

By Justin Faulconer

Published: June 29, 2008

In his second visit to Lynchburg in a week, U.S. Senate candidate Jim Gilmore said Sunday that he would fight to reduce energy costs and rising gas prices.

The former Virginia governor, who is vying Democratic opponent Mark Warner to replace retiring Sen. John Warner, campaigned at a celebration hosted by Thomas Road Baptist Church.

He garnered applause when he voiced his support of oil drilling in Alaska’s Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and drilling offshore.

“It is time to develop our own energy here in the United States,” Gilmore said.

Gilmore, a Republican, visited Delta Star Inc. on Mayflower Drive last Monday to showcase his energy platform. He said he was honored to receive Pastor Jonathan Falwell’s invitation to Sunday’s event on the campus of Liberty University.

In an interview Sunday, Gilmore said working to lower gas prices is the issue he is most passionate about in his campaign.

“This isn’t about Jim Gilmore or Mark Warner or anything else, this is about the people of this community and whether they are going to be able to make ends meet,” Gilmore said.

“That means we’ve got to get gas prices down … if we even say we are going to bring that oil in from Alaska and from offshore, it will affect gas prices immediately.”

Gilmore also publicly stated his support for the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling last week that struck down Washington, D.C.’s ban on handguns — another sentiment that drew applause.

“Four out of nine of the (Supreme Court) justices ignored the plain language of the Constitution,” Gilmore said, “but thank goodness we had good justices and the right of the individual remains to this day.”

Gilmore, like several other speakers Sunday, praised the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. He called Falwell an exemplary American and one of the greatest in the country’s history.

Pastor Jonathan Falwell stopped shy of publicly endorsing Gilmore but encouraged people to visit his Web site and consider his pro-life, pro-marriage values.

“I encourage you to go find out what this man stands for and find out what his opponent stands for and then you vote for the person whom most closely resembles what you believe,” Falwell said.

Also Sunday, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Virginia’s Attorney General Bob McDonnell joined Sen. Steve Newman (R-Lynchburg) and Del. Kathy Byron (R-Campbell) in presenting the Falwell family with a road sign that names a portion of U.S. 460 the Jerry Falwell Parkway.

The Virginia Department of Transportation will install at least one sign next week, Newman said.

“I’m so excited to be driving down Jerry Falwell Parkway next week,” McDonnell said.